Improved automatic feeder for sugar-evaporators



J. SMEAD.

I I Automatic Feeder for Sugar' Evaporators. No. 40,126. Patented Sept. 29,1863.

: W xexfl -UNITED STATES PATENT Tries.

JONATHAN SMEAD, OF PAVLET, VERMONT.

IMPROVED AUTOMATIC FEEDER FOR SUGAR-EVAPORATORS.

I0 all whom it may concern.-

Specification tbrnliug part of Letters Patent No.40. E26,dated September 22), 1363.

receiver. The receiver also operates withthe Be it known that I, JONATHAN SMEAD, a guard to prevent waste of the fluid and to di resident of Iawlet, in the county of Rutland and State of Vermont, have made an invention of a new and useful or improved automatic feeder for supplying a sapboiler or evaporating-pan with a liquid during the process of evaporating such liquid from the pan; and I do hereby declare the same to be fully described in the following specification, and represented in the accompanying drawings, ofwhieh Figure l is a top view, and Fig. 2 a vertical section, of my said feeder.

The purpose of my invention is to maintain a uniformity of depth of fluid (whether it be a saccharine or other fluid to be evaporated) within the boilingvessel or evaporatingpan during the process of evaporating or boiling such fluid, my invention being particularly applicable to the pans for making sugar from maple-sap.

It is well known that owing to the want of a proper means for regulating the depth of the fluid and maintaining it at or about at a constant level while being boiled, serious results or accidents frequently occur. Either the fluid may run over the top of the evaporating-pan, or it may be entirely evaporated, in which latter case the pan, as well as the sugar in it, may be burned or injured by the heat of the fire. \Vith my invention the depth of the fluid in the pan may not only be regulated or increased or diminished, as may be desirable, but the fluid in the pan may be kept at or about at a constant level, and this with little or no attention on the part of an attendant.

In the drawings, A represents a cistern or vessel containing a float, B, the stem a of which passesup through a slider, b, provided with a set-screw, c. To this slider one arm of a lever, O, is hinged. This lever works on a fulcrum at d, and its outer arm carries a valve, 6, to close down upon the open end of an induction-pipe, D, which enters a receiver or open vessel, E, which is arranged with respect to the cistern A, and has a spout, f, leading into the lower part of such cistern, as shown in Fig. 2. The Valve 6 is surrounded by a conical guard, g, which is attached to the lever, and serves to prevent the fluid which may flow out of the induction-pipe from being discharged laterally over the top of the rect it into the cistern A. An auxiliary cistern, F, is applied to the side of the cistern A, and communicates freely therewith by means of an orifice, h, leading from one into the other, and at or near their bottoms.- The auxiliary cistern is designed to hold or receive the shorter legs of one or more siphons, G, the

longer leg of each of such siphons being insion in the fluid of the evaporating-pan and the regulating-cistern, it should be inverted and filled with liquid. In this state, with a persons finger to the mouth of the shorter leg, so as to close it completely, the said leg should be passed into the auxiliary cistern, the longer leg at the same time being inserted in the evaporating-pan. On removal of the finger from the end of the siphon the sap or liquid of the cistern A will be drawn therefrom by the siphon, and will continue to flow into the pan until the surfaces of the liquids in the cistern and pan are in the same horizontal plane. If at this period we not only close the valy e 6 down upon the end of the induction-pipe, (which pipe is supposed to lead from a large vat or supply-cistern arranged above or with its bottom at or above the level of the discharging end of the said pipe,) but depress the float B until it may float within the fluid of the vessel A, and subsequently turn up the clamp-screw, so as to clamp the slider to the float-rod, the apparatus will be prepared for the maintenance of the fluid in the pan at or about at a level with that in the cistern. As the liquid in the pan may evaporate and fall therein the amount evaporated will be supplied from that in the regulatin gcistern A, which, as its surface may fall or be depressed, will cause a consequent depression of the float, so as to produce a lifting of the valve off its seat and the admission of a like quantity of fluid into the cistern A.

The altitude of the fluid in the cistern and pan may be regulated by varying or adjusting the height of the float relatively to the valve.

In evaporating a saccharine fluid by boiling it the ebullition causes so much foam on the surface of the fluid as to prevent the float from being employed to advantage within the evaporating-pan. It is therefore desirable to have it in a separate vessel, and, in order that the contents of that vessel may not be heated with or by those of the pan, I connect the two by a siphon in manner as described. I apply the cup to the loger leg of the siphon for the purpose of preventing in a measure the foam and steam of the pan from entering the siphon. \Vithout this cup the correct operation of the siphon is liable to interruption during foaming of the fluid of the pan, as the pressure of the steam under the end of the leg of the siphon is apt to force the sap back into the floatvessel A to such an extent as to stop or impede the action of the siphon.

The airwossel on the siphon not only answers to collect the air which may pass into the siphon with the fluid, but will act as a condenser to condense any steam or vapor which may pass up the longer leg of the siphon. This air-vessel is necessary or very advantageous under the circumstances to the correct operation of the siphon.

One supplying-cistern, with its float and valve and induction-pipe, may be employed in connection with one or more than one evaporating-pan, there being a separate siphon to each pan, and all of the siphons being inserted in the auxiliary chamber of the supplyingcistern.

I claim 1 The combination of the adjustable float B and the valve 0 and its lever O, or the equivalents thereof, with the induction-pipe D, the supplyingcistern A, and the siphon G, applied to the latter, the whole being for the purpose and to be employed substantially as specified.

2. The combination of the valve-vessel E and the guard g with the induction-pipe and the valve thereof.

8. The siphon G, as made with the air-vessel k and the cup H, or with either applied to it, substantially as and for the purpose or purposes as specified.

' JONATHAN SMEAD.

Vitnesses:

A. L. BRoMLnv, D. H. IBRoMLnY. 

